What are the Barriers That Prevent the Public From

The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative defines suspicious activity as “observed behavior reasonably indicative of pre-operational planning related to terrorism or other criminal activity.⁴⁵

Social media networks and mobile phone applications are designed to provide a seamless collaboration of information sharing but barriers that prevent the public from reporting suspicious and criminal activities remain. Just as there is an expectation for law enforcement to receive information from the public to aid in solving crimes, the public in return want to know what the police are doing.

45 Information Sharing Environment, “Functional Standard Suspicious Activity Reporting: Version 1.5,” May 21, 2009, http:www.dhs.gov/xlibray/assets/privacy/-pla-dhswide-sar-ise.

According to a 2012 online survey conducted by Accenture, citizens want to help prevent and fight crime but they also want greater access to information.⁴⁶ Accenture’s survey of approximately 1,300 citizens from Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States revealed that 88% believed they play an important role in reporting crime. Citizens also stated that a communication gap exists between the police and citizens and idenified implementing social media is key to bridging the gap and increasing citizen involvement in reporting crime.

In 2010, in an effort to improve public awareness and reporting of suspcious activities, IACP conducted research regarding the motivaitons and barriers that exist in the public’s ability to report suspicious activity. The following strategies were recommended to improve the public’s reporting of suspcious activity:

 Emphasize that community safety is a shared responsibility

 Engage the community in planning and promoting local campaigns

 Inform the public about the indicators of terrorism planning

 Address your community’s privacy, civil rights and civil liberties concerns

 Leverage technology to promote anonymous methods of reporting

 Adopt simple and accesssible methods to promote suspicious activity reporting

 Respond quickly to reports and follow up

 Improve efforts by seeking feedback and tracking successes and challenges⁴⁷

IACP’s primary research revealed the following factors that people rely on in determining if an activity, behavior or object is suspicious and should be reported:

 Concern about the potential for harm to the community

 Belief that the information may be useful to law enforcement

 Personal observation of activities

 Personal instinct

46 Accenture, Are Policing Forces Maximizing Technology To Fight Crime and Engage Citizens, Survey, Market Connections, 2012.

47 FEMA, “A Resource Guide to Improve Your Community’s Awareness and Reporting of Suspicious Activity,” FEMA. February 201, htttp:www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/24352.

 The agreement of others nearby that something is not right⁴⁸

Terrorists have a tendency to target soft target critical infrastructures such as transportation systems. Policing in the transit environment is challenging. Transit police officers are not assigned to every station due to manpower constraints and oftentimes the citizens that ride the system are the first observers of suspicious behaviors and activities.

Ensuring the public’s awareness and reporting of suspicious activity is vital. Public awareness through outreach campaigns and literature such as posters in subway stations and on buses will educate the public on types of activities that are considered suspicious.

Public service announcements will specifically detail “who and how” to report suspicious activity.

Examples of cases where crime-reporting tips have led to the capture of cases are increasing. For example, in May 2009, an employee in New Windsor, New York reported that a group of men had met over 20–30 times within a few days at storage unit. The storage unit contained bomb-making supplies and they were planning to also shoot down planes form the Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. The four men involved in the plot were captured and charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction and use anti-aircraft missiles.

Another thwarted plot in 2010, involved a report of smoke coming from an abandoned vehicle by a New York street vendor. Authorities followed up on the report and discovered a homemade bomb in the vehicle and were able to alert the public before it detonated. The suspect involved was captured and plead guilty to multiple charges including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted terrorism.49 These examples validate how public feedback makes a difference. In order to increase citizen reporting of suspicious and criminal activity, it is incumbent upon law enforcement to educate the pubic on what is or is not suspicious. Identifying what to report as suspicious or criminal will encourage citizens to confidently report these activities to law enforcement.

48Ibid., 2.

49 FEMA, “A Resource Guide to Improve Your Community’s Awareness and Reporting of Suspicious .” FEMA, February 3, 2012, htttp:www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/24352.

Common barriers exist regarding why citizens hesitate to report suspicious activity. Survey respondents reported the following barriers:

 They were worried abot getting innocent people in trouble

 They were uncomfortable with judging fellow citizens

 Believed calling the police would be a waste of resources

 Mistrust of law enforcement

 They wanted to avoid being wrong or appearing foolish in the eyes of law enforcement⁵⁰

Another barrier that prevented citizens from reporting crime was the manner in which they had to report it. Thirty-six percent of survey respondents reported fear of retaliation as a barrier.⁵¹ Citizens want to remain anonymous when reporting suspicious activities or crime. Social media and smartphone applications afford the opportunity to provide anonymity for their customers.

In 2007, the Boston Police Department became the first agency to provide customers with the ability to text crime tips. Since the program’s inception, the Department has received 4,000 text tips.⁵²

In June 2011, the New Jersey Transit Police introduced its “Texting against Terror” program. The idea was generated by the Department’s chief of police in an effort to provide a safe mechanism for customers to report suspicious activities and crime. The program has proven to be successful and has received 307 messages since the program began. “Chief Christopher Trucillo stated:

Our customers are in a closed, tight environment; we’re asking them to report suspicious behavior, but we have to make it safe for them. They

50 Andrew Becker and G.W. Schulz, “Citizens fear reporting suspicious activity will hurt the innocent,” California Watch, April 25, 2012: 1–6.

51 FEMA, “A Resource Guide to Improve Your Community’s Awareness and Reporting of Suspicious Activity,” FEMA, February 15, 2012,

htttp:www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/24352.

52 Ibid., 13

may not feel comfortable picking up the phone when someone is sitting two seats away. Text tips are convenient.⁵³

Text message and web based reporting systems are in use with many law enforcement agencies around the world. FEMA’s Resource Guide to Improve Your Community’s Awareness and Reporting of Suspicious Activity survey results reveal the public has begun to embrace these technologies. Respondents reported the following:

 34% reported using cell phone mobile applications

 30% reported using cell phone text messaging

 25% reported using a government approved website⁵⁴ 4. Conclusion

The implementation of social media networks and mobile phone applications for mass transit law enforcement departments will decrease crime and increase community involvement. The use of social media networks and mobile phone applications would provide customers who ride mass transit with an anonymous means for reporting suspicious and criminal activities. The ability to report suspicious and criminal activities discreetly would not only reduce customer fears of reporting crime but would build community trust between law enforcement and the community they serve. Citizens have demonstrated a desire to assist law enforcement in reporting suspicious and criminal activities. By leveraging technologies such as implementing smartphone applications and web-based networks to report crimes, law enforcement and community collaboration will minimize barriers that exist in suspicious activity and crime reporting.

53 Homeland Security News Wire, “New Jersey Texting Against Terror Program a Success,”Homeland Security News Wire,. October 11, 2012,

http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20121011-new-jersey-texting-against-terror-program-a-success.

54 FEMA, “A Resource Guide to Improve Your Community’s Awareness and Reporting of Suspicious Activity,” FEMA, February 2012, htttp:www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/24352.

5. What are Barriers That Exist in the Implementation of Social Media